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Tohti Tunyaz (pen-name: Tohti Muzart) is an ethnic Uighur historian and writer. Tohti graduated from the history department of the Central Institute of Nationalities, Beijing, in 1984 and was assigned to work for the China National Standing Committee. During this time he reportedly formed a close relationship with former Xinjiang governors Seyfundin Eziz and Ismail Emet, and was involved in the translation of Eziz's works. Tohti began studying for his PhD at Tokyo University's School of Humanities in Japan in 1995, specializing in Uighur history and ethnic relations. He has reportedly published several papers on Uighur history in Japan, and has published a book in Beijing.
Case history:
Tohti Tunyaz was first arrested on February 6, 1998, a few weeks into a trip to Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region for research purposes. His only proven "crime" appears to be that of obtaining and copying part of a 50-year-old document for his research with the help of an official librarian, which the authorities claimed was "theft of classified information."
On November 10, 1998, Chinese authorities charged Tohti with "stealing state secrets for foreign persons" and "inciting national disunity," the latter charge allegedly for publishing a book in Japan in 1998 entitled The Inside Story of the Silk Road. According to the Chinese government the book advocates ethnic separation; scholars in Japan, however, insist no such book exists. He was convicted by the Urumqi Intermediate People's Court on March 10, 1999, and following an appeal, was sentenced by China's Supreme Court on February 15, 2000 to 11 years in prison with an additional two years' deprivation of political rights. In December 2001, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued an official opinion declaring Mr. Tohti to be arbitrarily detained.
Current status:
Tohti Tunyaz is currently serving his 11-year sentence in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Prison No. 3 in the provincial capital of Urumqi. He has a wife and children in Japan. It is reported that he has exhausted his appeals and will therefore remain incarcerated until his sentence expires on March 31, 2009.
Tohti Tunyaz is also an Honorary Member of the Canadian, Catalan, English, Japanese, Lichtenstein and Perth PEN Centers.
In 2002 he was the recipient of a PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award.
PEN considers Tohti Tunyaz to be detained in violation of his right to freedom of expression and association as guaranteed by Articles 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is calling for his immediate and unconditional release.